Man faces burglary charge

June 27, 2014

FAIRMONT - A 32-year-old Fairmont man faces a first-degree burglary charge after allegedly breaking into an occupied Fairmont home on Monday.

According to information from the Fairmont Police Department:

On the evening of June 23, Fairmont police received a call about a burglary in progress on Ken Rue Lane.

At the scene, a police officer made contact with one of the homeowners, who was speaking Spanish and clearly upset. Inside a bedroom of the residence, a man identified as Patrick Lee Olson was found, and the homeowners were able to indicate he was the problem.

When questioned, Olson admitted he did not live there. He was placed under arrest.

A second Fairmont police officer with some understanding of Spanish communicated with the homeowners, who indicated they were at their residence when they heard a door open in their hallway, saw Olson emerge and walk into the kitchen. They said Olson did not take anything or threaten them, but they called police.

Police noticed that a screen on a window had been cut and appeared to be where Olson gained access to the house. When Olson was taken into custody, he had a knife in his pocket, and a bike believed to be Olson's also was located at the scene.

When Olson was interviewed, he said he had been looking for his fiancee, who had not been in contact since she left for work the day before. Olson said when he went to look for her at a Fairmont restaurant, an employee there said she might be at the Ken Rue Lane residence.

Olson later said that statement was not true and that employees at the restaurant said they did not know where she was.

Olson then said he decided to break into a trailer hoping to find an empty one where he could steal money and alcohol. He claimed he went to one and knocked and was surprised to find someone there, and pretended to be looking for someone.

Olson later admitted he broke into the trailer because he wanted to beat up the man who lived there and steal money and alcohol. However, Olson said he changed his mind when he saw how old and scared the homeowner was. Olson said he was trying to figure out what to do when police arrived and arrested him.

The first-degree burglary charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $35,000 fine.